Vice & Folly
by letmesleep
Summary: He was a vice, immoral, harmful, and her moral weakness. He didn't grasp the concept of trust, and why she would give hers to him. Perhaps it was just in her nature to be so naive and foolish, after all it was her folly to let someone so dangerous into her simple life.


Bucky made his way through the thick crowd of people, it was 5 in the afternoon in the gloomy city of D. sun was eclipsed by a forlorn cloud, giving off a sad aura. He had no idea where he was going, he just wanted to get away from S.H.E.I.L.D and Steve for a bit. Just to clear his mind, he could feel a headache coming on back in the apartment that Steve and him lived in, courtesy of the rebuilt S.H.E.I.L.D.

He brushed past a woman who gave him a dirty look, until their eyes met. She quickly turned her face down, and walked a little faster past Bucky. Fear, if there was one thing he could manipulate well it was fear in other people. Bucky took a side pass that branched off from the main street. The small street was lined with shops, one baring the title " Spiritual guidance" in a bright green neon sign looked like it had seen better days. He just walked slowly down the street peering into shop windows, until one shop caught his eye. It was a well kept shop, nice white trim around the windows. The sign read " Jacque's Army Surplus", Bucky opened the door a bell chimed softly signalling his entrance. A young girl was behind the tall counter fiddling with a display case, she looked up and gave Bucky a nice smile.

"Welcome, can I help you with anything today?"She said, Bucky could detect a slight french accent in the under tone of her voice.

"Just browsing"

"Alright."She said, motioning to the tall counter.  
Bucky gave her a nod before he turned ,looking around the store. It was full of world war 2 memorabilia. Medals, jackets, even a pair of torn army boots. Bucky sifted around the shop until he came across an old picture, the edges of the pictures where torn and frayed, nut Bucky could make out the faces clearly. Steve and him where side by side, big smiles on their faces, Dum Dum, Jim, and James where on either side of Bucky and Steve. Gabriel and Jacques where both smoking cigarets, it was the howling commandos, just how he remembered them. Bucky stared at the picture letting memories come flooding in. He remembered the team quite well, Steve said that James Falsworth and Jim Morita had passed on 10 years ago, but the rest where alive, old but alive. He wondered how they where doing, Steve would know he visited them every so often, Bucky wouldn't visit they all though Bucky was dead, and that's how he wanted it to remain.

" Hey, are you okay?"

Bucky felt a poke in his right arm, he didn't realize his right hand was balled up into a fist. He glanced at her,  
"I'm fine."

He said in a dazed voice, looking at the petit girl.  
" Alright, because you where staring for the last 5 minutes and I though something had happened. Sorry."  
She said with a soft smile,  
" The Howling Commandos? Are you an army buff? "She said with a bigger smile "My grandfather Jacque was part of the team. Cool huh?"

She said pointing to the dirt smeared frenchman smoking, not like Bucky didn't know already.  
"This is actually his store, I'm just looking after it for him while he is out for the day."  
She said sheepishly, before looking down.  
"Oh crap the candles are out."She muttered quietly, before jogging back to the counter.  
She talks to much, Bucky thought as he looked down to the little memorial. There was a picture of James Falsworth, Jim Morita, and him in gold frames. He felt weird looking at himself, but it wasn't him… not anymore. He could hear her small patter as she made her way back to the memorial. Bending down she relit the candles,  
" Sorry about that."  
She mummy led under her breath,  
" The younger looking man, who's that?"  
Bucky said, trying her knowledge. " Oh, him. That is James Buchan Barnes, Steve's best friend. He went MIA during world war 2…Sorry, I must be bugging you."  
A small pink blush creeping up on her porcelain face, before Bucky could answer, his phone buzzed, startling the girl. Bucky smiled, and answered, the girl just strode back to the counter.

"Hello?"  
Bucky said nonchalantly, it was Steve.  
"Where are you Bucky, you just left without a word. You have been gone for almost an hour, you're going to miss your therapy session."

Bucky just aired till Steve was finished his rant.  
" I went to clear my head, and I am on my way to the doc's." Before Steve could respond, Bucky hung up. He grabbed an army jacket that he was eyeing, and brought it up to the counter.  
"Can you put this on hold, I am running late."  
"Of course, the shop closes at nine, are you looking to pick it up later on tonight?", she began to write on a sticky note, glancing up at him for a response.  
"Yes, I'll try."  
Bucky said before he walked out of the store.

She stood there for a moment, watching the tall stranger walk out of the store. She placed the jacket in a bag, a gut feeling told her he wasn't going to come and pick it up. It was probably an excuse to leave, walking back towards the memorial that her grandfather laid out she bent down and picked up James Barnes picture. Weird, she thought they looked identical.

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Please read and review, and thanks to Emily for being a wonderful Beta 3


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